(DISCLAIMER: The following news items were found on the web and were not written or endorsed by WHO@; they are for informational purposes only)

Online behaviors that increase the risk of identity theft - 12/16/13http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=16110PrivacyGuard released the results of a survey aimed at observing and identifying a number of online behaviors that consumers willingly partake in that could put them at risk of fraud and identity theft. The survey identified five behaviors and asked a panel of 1,000 consumers whether they had performed any of the following potentially jeopardizing behaviors:Made a purchase over Public WiFiMade an online purchase using a payment method other than a credit cardOrdered an item from a website they were unfamiliar withHad overlap in the passwords they use for online accountsHad their billing info stored at more than 10 eTailers (or not know how many sites had their billing info stored)

Revenge porn: A pernicious form of cyber gender harassment - 12/15/13http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-12-15/news/bs-ed-cyber-gender-harassment-20131214_1_cyber-civil-rights-initiative-nude-images-harassmentBeing a woman, especially a woman of color, raises one's risk of cyber harassment ­ the intentional infliction of severe emotional distress through persistent online speech. The University of Maryland studied online attacks occurring on an Internet chat medium and found that users with female names received, on average, 100 "malicious private messages" ­ defined as those with "sexually explicit or threatening" language ­ for every four received by male users. User gender had a "significant impact" on the number of malicious private messages sent and "no significant impact" on other kinds of attacks, such as attempts to send files with viruses to users, the study said. It noted that males "specifically" targeted females.

Man charged with Naperville ‘cyberstalking’ crime - 12/13/13http://napervillesun.suntimes.com/crime/nunnally-NAP-12152013:articleA man from Chicago’s south side stands accused of harassing a former relative from Naperville with lurid text messages and the posting of her personal information to Internet websites, including some offering escort services. Bail was set at $75,000 for Mark A. Nunnally, 47. He faces trial in DuPage County Circuit Court in Wheaton on a felony charge of cyberstalking/causing fear for one’s safety, according to court records.

Fmr. UMKC student charged with stalking instructor - 12/13/13http://fox4kc.com/2013/12/13/fmr-umkc-student-charged-with-stalking-instructor/Prosecutors have charged a former University of Missouri Kansas City student with cyber stalking a university instructor. Court documents allege Kenna Haight, 27, sent over 100 threatening emails to the instructor who has remained unidentified. Haight’s emails at times said she wanted to killed and sexually assault the female instructor. Haight started sending the emails in September 2012.

Why Doesn’t Twitter Take Gender-Based Harassment More Seriously? - 12/13/13http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/12/13/3061151/twitter-block-policy-backlash/Twitter caused quite a stir late Thursday regarding a change in its block policy, provoking outrage from victims of online harassment and advocates. The new policy, which would have allowed blocked users to keep following and retweeting their blockers, was reversed hours after its debut. But while the decision to reverse the change was welcomed, it may not go far enough for those most vulnerable to violent threats and harassment ­ specifically women, people of color, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community.

Online fraudsters target ski tourists - 12/13/13http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25373655Travel agencies have warned of a new internet scam targeting holidaymakers who are booking skiing accommodation online. Some people have transferred thousands of pounds to conmen posing as the owners of luxury chalets. Chalet operator Consensio Holidays has asked for dozens of fraudulent chalet listings to be taken down from rentals websites. Travel association Abta said it was a "growing problem".

Two men arrested for anti-Semitic tweets after Spurs v West Ham match - 12/13/13http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-25364283Two men have been arrested for posting anti-Semitic tweets following Tottenham Hotspur's match with West Ham. A 24-year-old man from Croydon and a 22-year-old man from Wiltshire posted the comments about Hitler and the gas chambers after the Premier League match on 6 October.

Man pleads guilty to stalking teenage neighbor - 12/12/13http://www.lenconnect.com/article/20131212/NEWS/131219714A Clinton-area man admitted Wednesday he posted “love letters” on the Internet and carved large teddy bears to get the attention of a 14-year-old neighbor. The admissions were made by 46-year-old Kent Ellsworth Losee during a plea hearing in Lenawee County Circuit Court. He pleaded guilty to unlawful posting of a message and to stalking of a minor.

Murdered by porn: We've all been horrified by high-profile cases of child killers hooked on extreme porn. But they're just the tip of the iceberg - 12/12/13http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2522846/High-profile-cases-child-killers-hooked-extreme-porn-just-tip-iceberg.html#ixzz2neYIMLQMHe wore a freshly laundered shirt and smart dark suit for his appearance in the dock. Jamie Reynolds was also sporting a short new haircut and trim goatee beard instead of his scruffy stubble. In truth, he looked less like the man he is ­ a monster now locked up in the same psychiatric unit as Moors Murderer Ian Brady ­ than the boy he once was: a teacher’s son from a Shropshire market town, who had enjoyed a comfortable, middle-class upbringing.

Man names top Washington officials in $60M suit that claims the government's been stalking him since Google mistakenly made his web search about building bombs - 12/11/13http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2522271/Man-claims-governments-stalking-Google-web-search-building-bombs.html#ixzz2neiSBFEGA man claims he suffered serious emotional trauma at the hands of the federal government after Google auto-corrected his innocent web search into something sinister.When he typed ‘how do I build a radio controlled’ in October 2009, former government contractor Jeffrey Kantor says Google auto-completed his search to read: ‘how do I build a radio controlled bomb.’ Now he’s implicated some of Washington’s top brass in a bizarre $60 million lawsuit that alleges he was fired from his job after the government stalked him and used his co-workers to emotionally abuse him.

San Diego man charged with operating 'revenge porn' site - 12/10/13http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/10/revenge-porn-arrest-san-diegoAuthorities in San Diego have charged a man with operating a “revenge porn” website which allegedly humiliated and blackmailed women by posting nude photographs along with their names and addresses. Kevin Christopher Bollaert, 27, was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of extorting money from women who found compromising images of themselves ­ often supplied by ex-boyfriends and husbands ­ posted on the internet.

About Me

I'm a cyber crime expert and author of 8 books, soon to be 9! Although writing is my passion, cyber crime pays the bills. I give online safety lectures worldwide to students from 4th grade on up through college/university, as well as providing law enforcement training and speaking at various conferences as keynote.